Polymer-Surfactant Compositions for Fatty Soil Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Laundry detergents face challenges in removing fatty soils and reducing greying of fabrics, with existing anti-greying agents not providing sufficient performance, and liquid detergents often suffer from storage stability issues due to deactivation of enzymes and hygroscopic ingredients.
Innovation Solution
Inventive compositions comprising polymers with specific molecular weights and structures, combined with anionic surfactants, enzymes, and optional additives, designed to enhance soil removal and anti-greying capabilities while maintaining storage stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If existing anti-greying agents are used, then soil suspension capability is provided, but anti-greying performance is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite polymer structure combining polyamine backbone with grafted carboxylic acid groups and polyethylene oxide side chains. This composite structure provides both soil suspension capability (through polyamine and carboxylic acid groups) and enhanced anti-greying performance (through polyethylene oxide chains that prevent fabric greying), resolving the contradiction between maintaining soil suspension while improving anti-greying performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes specific parameters including molecular weight (10,000-1,000,000 g/mol), polyethylene oxide content (20-80 mol%), and carboxylic acid group content (1-10 mmol/g). By adjusting these parameters, the polymer achieves both adequate soil suspension capability and superior anti-greying performance, resolving the insufficiency of existing agents.
2Ease of operation
If liquid detergent formulations are used, then ease of operation is improved, but storage stability deteriorates due to enzyme deactivation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces the specific polymer as an intermediary protective agent that stabilizes enzymes in liquid detergent formulations. The polymer's carboxylic acid groups and hydrophilic chains form a protective environment around enzymes, preventing deactivation while maintaining liquid formulation usability, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and storage stability.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If polymers with higher molecular weight are used, then anti-greying performance is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a segmented polymer architecture with distinct functional domains: polyamine backbone segments, carboxylic acid graft segments, and polyethylene oxide side chain segments. This segmentation allows stepwise synthesis through sequential reactions, simplifying manufacturing of high molecular weight polymers while maintaining superior anti-greying performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses preliminary action by first forming the polyamine backbone structure, then sequentially grafting carboxylic acid groups and polyethylene oxide chains. This stepwise preliminary construction simplifies the overall manufacturing process of high molecular weight polymers with multiple functional groups, reducing synthesis complexity while achieving desired anti-greying performance.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The compositions effectively remove fatty soils and reduce fabric greying, while ensuring enzyme stability and improved storage stability, addressing the limitations of existing detergents.
Implementation Method 1
compositions comprising a polymer and an anionic surfactant
Implementation Method 2
Fatty soilings are still a challenge in laundering... The compositions effectively remove fatty soils
Implementation Method 3
In order to reduce redeposition of soil, specific native or modified polysaccharides... have been developed... reduce fabric greying
Data Source
AI summary
Composition comprising (A) at least one polymer with an average molecular weight Mw of at least 1,500 g comprising, as repeating units, structural units according to general formula (I) wherein Z1 are same or different and selected from hydrogen and methyl, R1 are same or different and selected from C2-C4-alkyl, non-substituted or substituted with hydroxy or -NR2aR2b, R2a and R2b are same or different and selected from C1-C4-alkyl, or NR2aR2b together form a C5-C6-cycloalkylenamino or 1 -imidazole group, n is selected from 3 to 100, X1 is selected from O and N-R3, with R3 being selected from hydrogen and methyl, A1 are same or different and selected from C2-C6-alkylene and (AO)y1, with AO being selected from ethylene oxide and propylene oxide and combinations thereof, and y1 being from 2 to 200. (B) at least one anionic surfactant.